"Annies Stories" A New and Charming Ellis Island Novel

Annie's Stories picks up where Grace's Pictures left off.  Both are charming reads that take place on Ellis Island during the early 1900s.  It's interesting to suddenly be pulled into the world of immigrants in New York over 100 years ago and, while admittedly it took me a few chapters to really get into the story, I had to know what was going to happen.  Annie is an Irish lass who is a sweet girl.  She has recently lost her father, a wonderful man who had the heart of a storyteller. and who left her only his wonderful stories--written down, unpublished, and hidden away in the secret compartment of a desk.  A bit mysterious, yes? 

During the time Annie's Stories takes place, the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has just been published and is taking New York City by storm.  I love the way the author weaves what's going on in Annie's life into the Oz story.  Like me, the books she reads (even the fiction ones) influence Annie's life and she relates them to things going on around her in the real world.  There is a bit of mystery here, too, as Annie's father actually hid the stories he wrote before his death--hid them away even as he didn't hide away the little money he had saved.  Annie's adorable love interest thinks the stories hold a grand secret... but do they really?

If you're looking for an easy, cozy read this summer, I think you'll like this one.  You can read the first chapter here on Amazon.

This book is also part of Tyndale's Summer Reading Program.  You can earn it free!  Check it out.